Network camera systems can be based on Internet protocol (IP) and use Ethernet based networking technology. In some applications, network camera systems are replacing analog closed circuit television (CCTV) due to various factors, such as accessibility, ease-of-use, cabling scalability, and lower cost of deployment and operation. With the ubiquity of wireless networks such as WiFi networks (based on IEEE 802.11 standards) and the emerging WiMAX networks (based on IEEE 802.16 standards), wireless network camera systems are gaining popularity and may become the dominant platform for video surveillance applications.
In an IP surveillance environment, a network camera system can include IP cameras connected via twisted pair cabling to a network switch. Alternatively, the network connection can be achieved using wireless local area networking (LAN) technology standard. In various applications, IP cameras can include a web-server capability and remote clients or observers connected to the camera via standard TCP/IP interface standards such as FTP or HTTP.
Real-time streaming of video can also be an important function for a video surveillance environment. A remote viewer viewing the video may wish to have minimal delays in watching the captured video in order to be able to respond to a situation more clearly. Real-time streaming also has other applications. For example, sports enthusiasts often wish to watch a sporting event in real-time so as to enable up-to-date information regarding the event.